Door construction



Jan. 18, 1955 E. H. MARKS 2,699,578

DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Marci: 8, 1950 v.6!) 30 Fig. 4

INVENTOR. ESTLE HMARKS j a a w A T TOR/V5 Y DOOR CONSTRUCTION Estle H. Marks, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 8, 1950, Serial No. 148,285

6 Claims. (Cl. 20-35) This invention relates to building constructions and more particularly to an improved swinging closure or door.

One of the most serious difficulties in providing door constructions, particularly of the type used in residential buildings is in the provision of doors and particularly outside or external doors that are weatherproof, i. e. are draft and moisture tight, and yet open and close easily and evenly without binding or sticking. The above difliculties are usually the result of the tendency of external doors to warp due to exposure to weather on one side and to dry and warm room air on the other side, as well as to natural changes taking place in wood, particularly if the same is not seasoned properly. In addition, it is very difficult to make framing of the door opening that has and retains for years parallelism of its vertical members. The arrangement of these members, usually called posts or jarnbs, may be faulty in original installations, or parallelism of properly installed jambs may be disturbed by settling down of the building construction itself. It can be easily appreciated that a warped door or slightly twisted framing of the door opening does not permit proper closing of the door against the framing of the door opening. While the door may contact the framing in some places, it stays away from it in others often leaving a wide crack permitting entrance of cold air, dust, and rain therethrough. In order to eliminate the above difficulties, sealing means or weatherstrips are usually provided around the framing of the door, which sealing means are usually in the form of resilient metal strips. In order to be wcathertight, such Weatherstrip are often made to fit rather tight against the edges of the door when contacted by it in closing, and therefore they may exert considerable force on edges of the door when the same is closed. In consequence thereof, while the door contacts the bottom of the framing recesses at its lock or handle, its top and bot tom may actually stay away for a considerable distance from the bottom of the framing recesses, and is in effect bent to a considerable curvature. After having been exposed to weather in such bent condition, the door sets or becomes permanently bent. Next time it is closed, the door is bent some more, and sets again. As a result, a door which was straight when originally installed, becomes warped because of the Weatherstripping, and its weathertightness may be greatly reduced. In addition, conventional paneled doors have tendency to sag, which results in similar difficulties.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved door construction whereby the above difiiculties are overcome and largely eliminated, and the door in my construction is made to close easy and is weathertight without the danger of warping being present.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved door construction which is very flexible and can be closed tight against warped door opening frame, but which does not receive a permanent set when exposed to weather in a bent condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved door construction in which the door is provided with heat and moisture insulation not apparent on the outside thereof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved door construction in which the door is made of soft wood and is covered with veneer or thin layer of hard wood such as oak, mahogany, walnut, or teak, giving the appearance of solid door made of expensive material, and in which no buckling or peeling of 2,699,578 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 veneer common in veneer-covered doors made in ordinary way, takes place.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved door construction in which there is provided resilient sealing contact between the sides of the jarnbs and the side edges of the door.

therein comprises a A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of making self-sealing joint in door construction.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved door having a Weatherstrip installed in such a way that bending over of the strip causing ruining of the strip and sticking of the door, is prevented.

It is an added object of the present invention to provide an improved door construction, which is simple and rugged in construction, dependable in use, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and to install.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view illustrating an improved door construction embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the line 2-2 of Pig. 1, with the middle of the door broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the laminated construction of the door.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the line 4-4 of Fig. l and illustrating the details of the Weatherstrip provided along the upper edge of the door.

Figs. 5-7 illustrate my improved method of self-sealing joint in a door construction.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

in the drawings there is shown by way of example an improved door embodying the present invention. Referring to the drawings, the door construction illustrated door frame operatively installed in a manner well known in the art in a door opening provided in the buiiding wall. In accordance with the usual practice, the frame comprises two vertical posts or jambs l0 and 11, and a head or lintel 12. A threshold member such as 13 may also be provided. The jarnbs 10 and 11 and the lintel 12 are recessed or rabbeted in order to permit arranging the door within the frame and to provide stopping faces such as 14 and 15 on the jambs 1d alnd 11, and 16 on the lintel 12, against which the door c oses.

The recesses in jambs it) and 11 are made much wider than those in the lintel 12 in order to accommodate contact strips 20 and 21 resiliently and adjustably mounted therein. The mounting of the strips 20 and 21 is done with the aid of screws 23 having their threaded port-ion engaging the jamb wall and their heads arranged in countersunk recesses, such as shown at 24 and 25, in the contact strips 26 and 21. Compression coil springs 22 are provided on each screw between the strip and the jamb in order to keep the strip away from the jamb. It is desirable to arrange the screws 23 along the sides of the respective strip in a staggered relationship such as shown in Fig. 2, rather than along the center line of the respective strip, in order to ensure proper movement of the strips. Molding strips 26 and 27 are secured to the jambs with the edges of the molding strips fully covering the clearance space between the contact strips and jambs in all operative positions of said contact strips.

On the contact strip 21 of the jamb 11 there is mounted on hinges 23 a swinging door or closure generally indicated by the numeral 30. The side and the bottom edges of the door 39 are made plain or smooth, while the upper edge thereof is recessed to house a sheet metal Weatherstrip 31. For easier closing the vertical edge making a of the door on the swinging side thereof is slanted as shown at 29. I

In hanging the door 30, the hinges 28 are secured to the contact strip 21 at such an elevation that the Weatherstrip 31 contacts the lintel 12 in closing the door and is deflected thereby to effect a resilient weathertight seal. The screws 23 of both strips and 21 are adjusted to dispose or bring said strips to positions where they are contacted and pressed slightly toward the jambs as the door closes. It can now be easily appreciated that with the construction described the sealing contact of my improved door with the strips 2% and 21 is both adjustable and resilient. The resilience of the contact ensures weathertightness of the door along the jambs. The distance through which the resiliency'of the contact strips operates is determined by the depth of the countersunk recesses at the screw heads, since when the contact strips are pressed to the extent that the door contacts the heads of the screws 23, the contact strips cannot be pressed any further. However, the adjustment of the strips 20 and 21 operates substantially through the distance of the maximum clearance space (considering the length of the screws 23 and of the springs 29) between the contact strips and the jambs. The adjustment feature described above enables adjusting the contact strips for a particular door at the time of the original installation, taking care of the differences in the size of the door up to 1 and even more, which variation is not permissible in conventional door constructions. Should original relationship between the frame and the door change due to causes such as discussed above, with my improved construction described above it is necessary only to change the adjustment of the contact strips with the aid of the screws 23, tightening the screws in places where the contact of the strip and the door is too tight, and loosening the screws in places where excessive clearances appear,

It will be understood that the above described construction may be used with many types of swinging doors for attainment of the advantages and objects described above. In addition to the above, my swinging door proper possessed a number of important features ensuring attainment of additional advantages, as described below.

In accordance with the invention the swinging door 30 is of a laminated construction. Said door comprises two panels wood planks jointed together. The direction of the planks on the panels 35 and 36 is perpendicular to each other as is best shown in Fig. 3 in order to counteract any tendency of the door to warp. Between the panels 35 and 36 there is provided a layer or board 37 of heat insulating material. A large variety of suitable materials is now available in the trade and they can be used with success. Insulating board now used extensively in building constructions and known in the trade as Celotex gives very good results when used in my door, and is preferred. Sheets 38 of paper are provided on both sides of the insulating board 37 as additional heat and moisture insulation. The panels 35 and 36, and the insulating board 37 are secured together with the aid of the rivets arranged in holes of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the rivet shanks to permit slight relative movement of the panels and the insulating board thereby eliminating excessive stiffness of the door. The insulating board 37 is recessed adjacent the places where lock is to be installed and wooden block 39 are installed in said recesses in order to ensure secure holding of the lock. It is desirable to provide such blocks on both sides of the door as shown, in order to permit hinging the door at either of its two sides. A panel frame genand 36 each made of a plurality of soft erally indicated by the numeral 41 is provided on all four sides of the door and is secured to the panels in any suitable manner. Layers 42 and 43 of plywood or eneer are provided to cover completel the surfaces of the door. as is best shown in Fi 3. These layers may be extended beyond the upper edge of the door to form a recess for housing the Weatherstrip 31. By virtue of such ex edient the free ed e of the Weatherstrip 31 is protected and unbending of the strip 31 often followed by catching of said edge and bending the Weatherstri over is prevented. The outside laver 42 may be treated to impart to it weather-resisting characteristics and desired appearance; The inside layer 43 may be of expensive wood such as walnut, selected to be within predetermined design or color scheme of the interior decora- 'tion.

appearance and possesses excellent heat and moisture.

insulating properties. The cost of my improved door is much less than of conventional doors of similar appearance. since relatively inexpensive materials may be used for its interior construction. In view of its improved, resilient and adjustable suspension my improved door always closes tight and opens easy without sticking or binding. Disturbances of proper suspension of the door due to changes in the building walls or the door opening frame are easily taken care of by adjustment of the contact strips which adjustment can be easily made by the occupant of the house himself, and which does not require services of a skilled carpenter.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate my improved method of making self-sealing joint in my improved door. In accordance with the invention, I operate on the edge of at least one of the parts to be jointed with a tool which partly crushes the wood and presses it deeper without actually cutting it out. A milling cutter having a negative rake angle gives good results. For plant /2" thick the groove of approximately wide and approximately 7 deep formed by such a tool is After the groove such as indicated by 50 in Fig. 5 is formed, I cut off the wood on the sides 51 and 52 to the depth of the groove, as shown in Fig. 6. In such a condition, there is provided a smooth edge with the wood along the middle of it compressed and somewhat disrupted. If a board having an edge so prepared were placed in the water, the sides of its edge would swell very little, while at its middle a ridge of swollen wood would be formed within a few hours. The hei ht of such a ridge would come very close to the original height of the edge. Placed in a joint, with jointed parts held together by some extraneous means, the tendency of the edge to form a ridge such as shown at 53 upon exposure to moisture operates to close and to seal the joint. The seal so formed is flexible i. e. it permits sli ht relative movements of the connected parts. Moreover the seal is self-healing: should the connected parts separate and some clearance is formed therebetween the seal ada ts itself to the new condition and closes the clearance. My

improved joint is applicable in many instances in build ing constructions, but it is particularly advanta eous in my improved door, particularly in view of the fact that it does not affect the flexibility thereof.

There is thus provided an improved door construction whereby the objects of the present invention listed above and numerous additional advantages are attained.

I claim:

l. A door construction including a frame provided in a door opening and a door hingedly mounted on said frame, said door comprising two spaced wooden panels. a plurality of transversely floating rivets connecting said panels but allowing relative movements thereof in their respective planes, a layer of heat insulating material disposed hetween said panels, and a panel frame provided on all four sides of the door and secured to said pane s.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 and ha ing the insulating material recessed in the p ace where d or lock is to be provided, and Wooden block secured within said recess.

3. A door construction including a frame provided in a door opening and a door hin edlv mounted on said frame. said door comprising two spaced Wooden panels each made form a plurality of ointed planks. the nlnnks of one anel running in a direction perpendi u r to the planks of the other panel. a la er of he insulating materi dis osed between said anels. stemm d Connerffl! me ns floatin lv connecting s id anels to e her i t lockin said panels from relative movements in th ir respective planes. and a frame Stltt'mlnriinq said panels from all four sides thereof and secured thereto to form a unitary structure.

4. The construction defined in the claim 3. h he door having a layer of plywood provided on each side thereof.

5. The construction defined in the claim 3, and haventirely sutficient.

iing a layer of ilywoolcll prolviged on cash l:ide of thg References Cited in the file of this patent oor coextensivey wit sai our on e ottom an vertical sides thereof, and extending beyond said door UNITED STATES PATENTS along the upper edge thereof to house a Weatherstrip, 1,302,480 Soule Apr. 29, 1919 and a resilient Weatherstrip provided along the upper 5 1,694,886 McClellan Dec. 11, 1928 edge of the door. 2,079,878 Sabine May 11, 1937 6. A method of providing a weathertight jOlnt in 8 2,178,729 Shields Nov. 7, 1939 door including a number of adjacent wooden boards, 2,220,606 Malarkey et a1. Nov. 5, 1940 said method including the steps of providing at leas 2,273,279 Macklanburg Feb. 17, 1942 two boards to be placed edge to edge, compresslng the 10 2,399,666 Een May 7, 1946 wood along the portion of the Width of he en ire e ge 2,444,343 Eisinger June 29, 1948 of at fltiist oine boearchl cutting1 away uncor zpresse 1w;- 2,552,752 Venditty May 15, 1951 tion 0 e e ge, an p acing e compresse portion su stantially in contact with the edge of the other board. FOREIGN PATENTS 16 154,092 Switzerland July 1, 1932 390,459 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1933 

